What do you mean by five mountains and six beasts?

The meaning of "Five Ridges and Six Beasts" is a common decorative element in traditional buildings in China, which refers to the specific tile decoration of building roofs.

These decorations usually present the images of animals or myths and legends, which constitute the unique features of ancient buildings in China, and also have certain symbolic and mysterious significance.

First, the image of the five mountains and six beasts:

Five Ridges: Five Ridges refer to five tiles on the roof of a building, which usually represent animal images such as dragons, phoenixes, tigers, lions and elephants, and each ridge is decorated with tiles with animal images.

Six Beasts: Six Beasts refer to six tiles at both ends of the roof, including mythical animal images such as Kirin, hippocampus, eldest sister-in-law, sister-in-law and green lion.

Second, the meaning and symbol:

Exorcise evil spirits: In the traditional culture of China, these animal images are regarded as sacred animals, which have symbolic significance in exorcising evil spirits and protecting the safety of buildings and residents.

Aesthetics and decoration: As an architectural decoration element, the Five Ridges and Six Beasts are not only practical, but also add aesthetic feeling and artistry to the building, which embodies the carving technology of ancient buildings in China.

Third, the history and inheritance of the five mountains and six beasts:

As a common decoration of ancient buildings, Wuling Six Beasts can be traced back to the long history of ancient buildings in China. They first appeared on bronzes in Shang and Zhou dynasties, and then gradually evolved into architectural decoration, which was widely used in Han and Tang dynasties and other historical periods.

In the ancient architecture of China, the Five Ridges and Six Beasts not only appeared in palaces, temples and other important buildings, but also appeared in some residential buildings and garden buildings, which became one of the important decorative elements of ancient architecture in China.

Fourth, cultural value and inheritance:

As one of the essences of ancient architecture in China, the Five Ridges and Six Beasts have important cultural values. In modern times, although the architectural styles and materials have changed, people still attach importance to and inherit these ancient architectural decoration techniques to protect and inherit the treasures of China traditional culture.

As an important symbol of ancient architectural decoration in China, the Five Ridges and Six Beasts not only have a far-reaching impact on architectural aesthetics, but also bear the historical precipitation and mysterious significance of China traditional culture. As representatives of China's architectural culture, they still have important cultural, artistic and historical values today, showing the world the beauty of China's ancient architecture.